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triniteevee · 1 year

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Pacify Him

(arven x reader ficlet)

(notes: kinda crackfic, less romantic, mostly humorous, academy shenanigans, reader and arven are adults, perspective shift but no first person pov lol; warnings: suggestive themes, spoilers re: clavell)

tagging @superstition13 and @wyverndollface96 for requesting and @snartalacarte for sending in that ask about arven content (✧∀✧)/

“It’s not what it looks like!” is quite possibly the worst thing you could have said in this situation.

Fortunately, it was not what you said.

Unfortunately, it was what Arven said.

A loud choking noise that could best be described as a mightyena’s laugh escapes Dendra. The rest of the professors whip their heads in her direction, which gives you a quick second to spare an incredulous look at Arven.

He returns a look that conveys, ‘I panicked.’

Not that what you two were doing goes against academy rules. There may have been some light… brawling, but neither of you really punched or kicked the other. Your little disagreement just escalated a tiny wee bit. It definitely did not require such an audience.

It went like this.

In preparation for midterms, the two of you commandeered the Home Ec room during free period. Arven, in particular, had been anxious to improve on his Meal Points. Within the first five minutes of your session, you had made one too many jokes at your classmate’s expense, and he retaliated by raising your ingredients above his head. In an attempt to secure your precious prosciutto, you may have tickled his surprisingly sensitive sides. With his free hand, he pushes you away in the face, and vision obscured, you wildly flail your arms. You’re not entirely sure with the details, but somehow you found yourself laying with your back flat against the tile floors caged between Arven’s arms.

Nurse Miriam almost sounds innocent, but you’ve hung out with her enough times to detect the twinkle in her eye. “What does it look like?”

Dendra cackles.

With that, Director Clavell ushers out the rest of the staff, save Professor Jacq. An almost strict parental aura emanates from the normally stoic man. Clavell turns his steely gaze at Arven which makes your companion honest-to-Arceus flinch. The gaze you’re given is somehow kinder.

“I know and trust that you two are sensible adults. I respect whatever choices you make regarding pursuing relations…,” he coughs. “Err- relationships.” You stifle a groan, and Arven stiffens in fear beside you. “However!” Clavell’s voice pitches up. “We have to respect that this is an institution for learning. Kindly display some decorum.” Almost like an afterthought, he adds, “Your dorm rooms are yours to use as you please.”

You’re nodding in an attempt to get him to move things quicker, but Arven would not shut his trap as word vomit after word vomit of “That’s not what—,” and “I would never—,” leaves his mouth.

This just serves to further incense Clavell. “Young man, do you see me a fool?”

The poor backtracking from Arven draws a sliver of pity from you, and you decide to put him out of his misery.

“Clive, my man.” Arven looks at you like you had gone absolutely mad, but Clavell stares curiously. “Me and this dude weren’t boning in here. Nor were we planning on boning.” The director has a poker face on, but you can see all his hostility earlier has vanished. “Bro, you know I’m a bit of a rebel — that’s why you and I vibe — but I would never do something so shameless.”

Arven gapes like a magikarp at the two of you. You’re patting the Director’s shoulder like you were best buds. The man is nodding enthusiastically, and whispering, “I see,” over and over again.

He flushes when you look back to send a quick wink, before sharing some (Oh, Arceus) ‘hot goss’ with Clavell— or Clive. He honestly didn’t know anymore.

A tap on his shoulder reminds him of another presence in the room. Professor Jacq is smiling sheepishly, Arven could only offer a grimace in return. The man’s next words slightly tempt Arven to just drop out of the academy forever.

“Misunderstanding aside. If either of you have any questions, remember that I’m not only your thesis advisor, but also a Biology professor.”

Unintentionally going in for the kill, he offhandedly mentions, “Oh, and Miriam texted me to remind you the nurse’s office has protection. Just ask.”

Right on cue, Arven realizes he had just stepped on some ham. Right. A deep sigh leaves him. Somehow, everyone seems to think you and Arven were making more than just sandwiches.

While picking up wasted ingredients, he flushes when he recalls how he had accidentally pinned you on the floor. The white tiles shine mockingly up at him. He focuses his gaze on the occasional pop of color alerting him of scattered bell peppers. He tries not to listen too attentively to your voice as you excitedly swap stories with Clavell and Jacq.

You were always good at that.

Winning over people naturally, that people knew who you were even before you met them. He was, after all, one of those people. Everyone knew who you were, and they all wanted to get to know you. Yet, despite that, you still pay attention to him. You could, by all accounts, have the more powerful and influential classmates eating at the palm of your hand, but here you are in an almost empty classroom essentially wasting time because he asked you to be here.

“Alrighty, y’all. Respectfully, get out! We got sandwiches to make, and a class to pass!”

Who even are you? Speaking to the staff in such a manner would have any other student marched down the steps of the academy, but the two older men simply jovially chuckle. Arven feels himself smile despite attempting to restrain it.

You walk back to your table, just as Arven is getting up. You offer him your hand, which he demurely accepts.

Smiling, you ask him, “What were we making again?”

He snorts. “Well according to the staff groupchat, a scene.”

You let out an even less dignified snort which draws a chuckle from your friend. Soon enough, you’re both deep in belly laughs to the point of tears.

Professor Saguaro doesn’t know what to do with himself upon returning and finding his two students heaving, and a table full of unused ingredients. A lone plated piece of bread sitting pathetically in the middle.

When Arven gets called out in class for not knowing the very thing you were meant to tutor him on, he couldn’t find it in himself to care. He feels you kick him in the side from your seat. Nope. He does not mind at all.

#pokemon scarlet and violet #arven #arven x reader

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the-true-noodles · 8 months

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incorrect miraculous ladybug quotes 2! (because we need more of them)

part 1

Nathalie: Now, the recipe calls for 2 shots of vodka.

Nathalie: *upends the bottle*

*Marinette's second day of interning for Gabriel*

Gabriel: Hand me the people opener.

Marinette: ...

Marinette: Pardon?

Gabriel, annoyed: The people opener! Just hand it to me!

Marinette, stressed: WHAT THE FUCK IS A PEOPLE OPENER?

Gabriel: How do you not know what a people opener is? Its pointy- you know? With a handle?

Marinette: Knife. It's called a knife.

Adrien: *walks to cabinet, removes oreo box, takes half a sleeve, throws empty box out* Hi!

Nathalie: Hey- what are you doing-?

Adrien, shoving an oreo into their mouth: I am saving space :D

Gabriel: Would it be discrimination to only hire employees at my doughnut shop who have the same name?

Nathalie: Legally, I don't believe that breaches any discrimination laws. Morally though... I don't know.

Gabriel: I believe god is on my side when it comes to Duncans' Doughnuts.

Chat Noir: honk.

Gabriel: WHAT.

Chat Noir: HONK.

Gabriel: WHAT DOES HONK MEAN THIS TIME YOU WHIMSICAL PIECE OF SHIT?????

Ladybug: So, what's it like living with Hawkmoth?

Mayura: They once referred to sand as "heterosexual glitter."

Ladybug: ...

Mayura: I love him so much.

Mayura: Where's Chat Noir?

Hawkmoth: Don't worry, I'll find them.

Hawkmoth, shouting: Ladybug sucks!

Chat Noir, distantly: Ladybug is the best person ever! Fuck you!

Hawkmoth: Found them.

Nathalie: I just heard Gabriel call the dog a “fucking liar” because he barked like someone was at the door and no one was there.

Chat Noir: You know, Hawkmoth, when you generalize, you tell general... lies.

Hawkmoth: ...

Hawkmoth: Are you trying to teach me moral lessons through puns.

Nathalie: How are you gonna carve a gigantic pumpkin?

Gabriel: The same way I make onion rings!

Gabriel: *grabs a chainsaw*

Nino: Hey, you want a tarot reading?

Gabriel: Those are Pokemon cards.

Nino You got a magikarp.

Gabriel: ...

Nino: It means 'fuck you'.

Hawkmoth: Here's two facts about me.

Hawkmoth: 1. I hate hot people.

Hawkmoth: 2. I'm a hypocrite.

*the day this man goes out of the house by himself*

Gabriel: Keep it running. *Tosses keys over shoulder into empty parking lot.*

Ladybug: You ever see something that changes your life and you're just like "huh.."

Chat Noir: I saw you.

Ladybug: Honestly that's so cute and sweet but it kinda makes this awkward because I was gonna show you a picture of Hawkmoth in a turkey costume.

Marinette: My hands are cold.

Adrien: Here, let me hold them.

Marinette: My lips are cold too.

Adrien: *covers Marinette's mouth with their hand*

Gabriel: If we lose, you’re out of the will.

Nathalie: I was in the will?

Nathalie: Are you having another depressive episode?

Gabriel: A depressive episode?

Gabriel: I'm having a depressive series and we're just on season one.

Gabriel, entering the room: *Sees Adrien and leaves*

Adrien, watching Gabriel leave: There’s my monthly dose of my dad…

*Marinette and Nathalie are planning to break in somewhere to save Adrien without Gabriel knowing he was missing*

Marinette: We need to distract the guards.

Nathalie: Right.

Marinette: What are we gonna do?

Nathalie: I'm gonna break their elbows while you poke their eyes.

Marinette:

Nathalie:

Marinette: Deal.

Hawkmoth You’d be stupid to lay a hand on me.

Chat Noir: Oh, you’d be surprised how much stupid shit I do.

Adrien: *Gasp*

Marinette: wHAT??

Adrien: What if soy milk is just milk introducing itself in Spanish?

Marinette: *inhales*

Gabriel, in another room with Nathalie: Why can I hear screeching?

*during a temporary ceasefire because reasons??*

Ladybug: Hawkmoth learned how to fold origami penguins from Chat Noir the other day. I told them, “I feel a little bad for the penguins, it’s hot here”, and the next day they put them in the fridge.

Gabriel: Where did you get that tomato soup?

Adrien: It’s actually a bowl of ketchup I just microwaved.

Gabriel: Christmas is cancelled.

Adrien: You can't cancel a holiday.

Gabriel: Keep it up, Adrien, and you'll lose New Year's too.

Adrien: What does that mean?

Gabriel: Nathalie, take New Year's away from Adrien.

Hawkmoth: Arson? Oh, you mean "crime brûlée".

Gabriel, digging their grave: Long story short, this is my grave.......Want me to make you one too?

*marinette's internship is something i want to think would be really funny*

Marinette: Hey, wanna help me commit arson?

Gabriel: What the hell!?

Marinette: Oh, sorry, my bad.

Marinette, whispering: Wanna help me commit arson?

Gabriel, whispering: Of course. What do you need?

Marinette: So, are you two friends?

Gabriel: Yes.

Natalie: No.

Chat Noir: You use emoji’s like a straight person.

Hawkmoth: That’s literally the worst thing anyone has ever said about me.

Gabriel: I’ve been here in jail so long I think I’ve lost my mind.

Gabriel: The days turn into weeks, weeks turn into months.

Gabriel: How long have I been in here now? Almost a year?

Nathalie: This is Monopoly.

Hawkmoth: Well, well, well, if it isn’t the consequences of my actions.

Gabriel, putting their hands over Nathalie's eyes: Guess who!

Nathalie: It's either Gabriel or the cold, clammy hands of death.

Gabriel, putting their hands away: It's Gabriel!

Nathalie: Dammit.

Ladybug: We need to open this locked door. Nathalie, give me your credit card.

Nathalie: Here.

Ladybug, pocketing it: Thanks. Chat, cataclysm the door.

Nathalie: When was the last time you cried?

Adrien: Uh 15 minutes ago, why??

Nathalie: really? That recent?

Adrien: Yeah *voice crack* is that a issue? *starts crying again*

Ladybug: Why are you always trying to aggravate me?

Hawkmoth: To relax.

*Something crashes*

Adrien: Shoot-

Gabriel: *running into the room in a panic* WHAT FELL?!

Nathalie: *walking by the room calmly* What died?

(sorry for taking so long)

#chat noir #gabriel agreste #hawkmoth #miraculous ladybug #miraculous fandom #mlb fandom #adrien agreste #marinette dupain cheng #mayura #ladybug #incorrect miraculous ladybug quotes #crack #pure crack #nathalie sancoeur #i think this was all of the tags #funny

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the-fanfic-archer · 9 months

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Fresh Wounds Fresh Water

Pokemon

General - Legends Arceus

Fish Pokémon are nice to you after you get kicked out by the people you trusted

—

You are a child… how was it so easy for them to forget that? How was it, after everything you had done for these people, they cast you out like this? Sitting on this quiet space, a stone in an ocean compared to everything you’ve seen, you watched the magikarp swim gently around the berries you’d tossed into the water for them.

This small dry spot hidden beneath a cliff side and sat across from a waterfall was the most peaceful place you’d been able to find in Hisui. Basculegion normally left you there for some time, but this evening it sat patiently beside you in the water. The company was nice after what happened. Bubbling water and small splashes of the Pokémon eating together held you there in the quiet, allowing your defenses to fall.

It’s funny how often these ‘wild monsters’ will notice what’s wrong before you do. They sense dangers around every corner, sudden drops, avalanches, rock slides, stampedes, even something as small as rotted food, far before you do; they so easily protect you from these things, and you are still surprised when they save you each time. Especially when they even stop now to save you from your own feelings.

It was the wet slap and awkward fumbling of the magikarp jumping into your lap that nearly sent you falling to the water. The small sunset scaled creature cuddled into you as you resettled your hold it, this allowed you the comfort, the safety, the space to cry. Small, simple tears. Lonely ones, bitter ones, tired ones, everything you had felt since arriving in this strange place suddenly poured out as the Pokémon around you stayed close. Them as perfectly comfortable in your presence as you have come to be in theirs.

When you came back to your senses you felt the cold, the sky, still dark and twisting as before, had cast out the remaining light of what had been day. The ghost type beside you sturdied itself as you let the magikarp back into the water and positioned yourself for the ride. This thing that once scared you now carried you as though you were the most precious being in the word. For these small few moments, where the true nature of the Pokémon is clear, you feel like you are. By the time you find yourself back by a fire rest comes as easily as breathing, after all, you are a child.

#pokemon #pokémon #pkmn #pokemon x reader #Pokémon and reader #x reader #platonic fanfiction #platonic hurt/comfort #hurt/comfort #fanfic #how tf do you tag #🪲#cross posted on ao3 #pokémon legends arceus #pkmn legends arceus

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twotriickhoofbea2t · 2 months

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Regional Variants for Iconic Pokemon? Could Be!

Magikarp: Fish Pokemon

Dragon

Ability: Huge Power (Swift Swim)

This pokemon originated from somewhere far away, their brutish nature and intolerant temperament makes them somewhat hard to control.

Magikarp quickly adapted to the waters of the Itwist region, and pushed out most other fish pokemon with their territorial tendencies.

HP: 30 ATK: 55 DEF: 55 SPA: 10 SPD: 10 SPE: 40

Gyarados: Slumber Pokemon

Dragon/Ground

Ability: Pacifist (Thick Fat)

Evolves from Itwistern Magikarp at level 20

Tired from exerting itself as a Magikarp, Gyarados in the Itwist region are passive and approachable, a shock to tourists from all over.

These usually docile pokemon spend over half the day sleeping, saving their energy for when they truly need it most.

HP: 100 ATK: 100 DEF: 95 SPA: 70 SPD: 120 SPE: 55

Pacifist: When this pokemon takes damage from a contact move, all opposing pokemon lose one stage in attack and special attack.

#pokemon #fakemon #regional variant #magikarp #gyarados #dragon type #ground type

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aegislash-logs · 1 year

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jumping on the hyperspecific poll thing because it's fun

#pokeblog #pkmn irl #pokeblogging #pkmn rp #have fun!

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reeddraws · 2 months

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Daily drawing 1621: I've been a long time Pokemon fan. Early on, it was mostly watching the anime, and I didn't get my first game until Pokemon Diamond and then Platinum. But I did read Pokemon Adventures pretty early on and that manga is so different than the show lol. I really loved it though and loved the character Yellow! I was inspired by them when I drew a Pokemon themed month a few years ago, so I'm pulling the Magikarp I drew back then since I still think the lineart is really good, and it saves me a lot of time.

#digital art #procreate #illustration #artists on tumblr #character art #pokemon yellow #pokemon adventures #magikarp

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sage-writes-stuff · 2 years

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Incorrect quotes Pt. 4 | E. Munson, D. Henderson, Y/N

Send any requests or thoughts you have, I love to see them <3

Eddie: I need a long word. Y/N: T-rex but the long one.

Eddie: What's a word thats a mix between 'sad' and 'mad'? Dustin: Disgruntled, miserable, desolated- Y/N: Smad.

Dustin: If Eddie and I were drowning, who would you save? Y/N: You two can’t swim? Eddie: It’s a hypothetical question, Y/N! who would you save? Y/N: my time and effort.

Dustin: Why did you guys dress up as each other for Halloween? Eddie: Y/N is the scariest thing I could think of! Y/N: Eddie told me I should pick the dumbest costume possible.

Y/N: Hey, you want a tarot reading? Eddie: Those are Pokemon cards. Y/N: You got a magikarp. Eddie: ... Y/N: It means 'fuck you'.

Eddie: Please bring home PURIFIED water with NO minerals added for taste Dustin: We got spring water Eddie: NO. Y/N: with EXTRA minerals Dustin: it's like licking a stalagmite Eddie: DON'T COME HOME. Y/N: Mmmmm cave water

Dustin: You have to apologize to Eddie Y/N: Fine. Y/N: 'Unfuck you' or whatever.

Dustin: If you get in trouble, I'm gonna be like... a lawyer to you. Ok? Y/N: Okay. *Later* Eddie: Y/N! Sit on the chair, you're in trouble. Dustin, whispering: Deny everything. Y/N, loudly: That isn't a chair.

Eddie: HELP. I TOLD Y/N I’D COOK DINNER TONIGHT BUT I CAN’T COOK. Dustin, pouring milk directly into the cereal bag: And you thought I could help?

Y/N: I feel like Eddie is looking down on me. Dustin: That’s because they’re on the counter and you’re short.

#Eddie Munson #eddie munson fluff #<3 #eddie munson fic #eddie munson x reader #Incorrect quotes #Your honor I'm in love with him #eddie munson #x reader #stranger things #eddie my beloved #dustin stranger things #dustin henderson #Dustin #stranger things x reader

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shitpostingkats · 1 year

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Yu-Gi-Oh Review Roundup: GX!

Favorite main character: Chazz Princeton

The Chazz. The yugioh rival who, barely five episodes into the first season, gets fed up with being in the show, sails away on a yacht, shipwrecks, is rescued by card game playing russians, gets adopted by said russians after beating all of them back to back in a 50 man gauntlet, and returns to the main plot triumphantly riding a submarine with an entire crowd of slavs chanting his name.

In, uh... *checks watch* episode 25.

Chazz is one of those yugioh characters who’s just always doing the most he possibly can, and you gotta love him for it. And unlike some prideful anime rivals, he actually has the skills to back it up. Skills you actually get to watch him build himself, from the ground up, after having his fall from grace/russian sabbatical. Which just makes it even more satisfying to see him tear into duels, because his archetype of choice, and his whole arc in general, is about using the most unintimidating, unwanted, and least powerful monsters. It’s like the pokemon trainers who threaten to beat you into next week, and then bring out. A magikarp.

Except he then absolutely trashes you with said magikarp. And clomps away in his big goth platforms, loudly proclaiming that magikarp are annoying, and stupid, and he definitely doesn’t like them. Nu-uh. Ignore the maxed out friendship stat.

Up until the heavier plot kicks in in season three, Chazz has hands down the best character arcs of GX. His fight to break free of his abusive brothers’ control, his crabby assimilation into the Slifer Squad, his brief stint and subsequent escape from a Literal Cult (yeah that happens in gx don’t worry about it). Chazz is such a charismatic and well developed character that, when he kinda vanishes for like a dozen episodes, only to reappear, having won an entire tournament offscreen, being heralded by banner-bearers, and carried on a freaking PALANQUIN

I stood up and CHEERED.

Favorite antagonist: The Dark King

The most stunning of trope subversions in a season chock-full of them. Yes, Yubel may be a more threatening and complex villain, but they have so much going on between the dub vs. sub battle, they may get the final save-the-world card game at the end of the season, but the Dark King is such an equally nuanced and menacing antagonist.

Because he’s the protagonist.

The dark king is every concept I loved about the Yamis in DM, the idea that parts of ones soul aren’t wholly power of friendship goodness, the idea that you can still choose to be an anime protag even if there’s darkness living inside of you. Because being kind is hard. And the act of pursuing it hits so much harder when we see how much it costs to turn down the other path.

Again, I’m a sucker for any character arc even remotely analogous to mental illness. If you see a pattern in the way I review media, I wholeheartedly claim it. I am a simple creature.

But the Dark King also functions so fantastically as both a metaphor and a subversion because we’ve seen the trope of a Superpowered Evil Side before. The show is betting on that. The twist comes in that the Dark King is not some malevolent, foreign entity. That it’s Jaden. Just a scared kid, lashing out at the world and forced to deal with the consequences. And he’s not evil.

Whereas Marik shows with dealing in the part of yourself that wants to commit atrocities, Jaden takes it the next step, and has to accept that you can’t just get rid of it. You have to live with it. Rein it in. But be kind to it. Because it is you, and it just wants to keep you safe and it may be wrong and a base impulse but punishing your worst instincts is not only self harmful, it is impossible.

You may have instantly internalized any negative emotion out of shame, and yes, you may somedays even be controlled by it. But do not fear it. Learn to work in tandem with your rage. Do not let it possess you, but do not imprison it either.

The Dark King is one of those stories that I really think I needed to hear as a kid, but even now, consuming the series as an adult, doesn’t make that message any less impactful.

Favorite side character: Tyranno Hassleberry

Back in the early days of 2021, before the first season of yugioh dm was even a passing consideration of a thought in my mind, I decided to poll my online friends and determine what they thought the Best Worst Name in localized yugioh.

These were people that had never watched yugioh, never so much as glanced at the card game.

We started with 32 names.

After five rounds of voting, only one was left standing.

Tyranno Hassleberry beat Maximillion Pegasus, and thus was crowned the ultimate champion of Best Bad Yugioh Name.

Some might say this championship gave me a bit of a preemptive bias towards the funny dinosaur man.

They’d be right.

Imagine my delight, however, when this already-primed-for-stupidity name got a face, and we learn that big, dumb, real himbo of a yugioh name is attached to an equally big and dumb himbo of typical yugioh absurdity. I mean, truly, Tyranno Hassleberry is everything I love about yugioh worldbuilding, personified. In a series that takes an up close examination of the partnerships between man and monster, and the terrible psychological effects thereof, Hassleberry stands as the shining example of a character so full of love and stupidity that he is immune to the horrors.

While Jaden “What is attraction” Yuki is off getting ptsd from his partnership with a dragon demon that hyperfocuses on relationships so hard that it has put people into comas, Tyranno is also there. Just vibing. Hassleberry, do you have such a strong spiritual connection to your ace monster that you might be genuinely inhuman? Do you also have special anime eyes and mild superpowers? How’s that going? Good? Good!

The world of yugioh not only can provide rich, nuanced explorations on mental wellness and the very idea of identity, it can also provide a man who is half dinosaur and it is only ever lightly remarked upon. Apparently, the solution to surviving an ever expanding universe of unreality and cosmic horrors beyond your imagination is just. Be kind. Be happy. Talk about dinosaurs.

Favorite duel: Yubel vs. Zane

A masterclass on how non-plot-relevant duels can still contribute SO much to the show and its characters.

Zane is a funny little weirdo. The walking personification of Gifted Kid Burnout, this dude graduated valedictorian and then immediately proceeded to get kicked in the ribs by the realities of non-academic living, causing him to sink into a deep and self harmful depression spiral, obsessed with pulling others down to his level and proving to them that happy go lucky positivity is only a naive shield in the face of true adversity and cruelty.

*Laughs a bit too forcefully* What a funny dude!

Zane has basically been on a downward slide in mental wellbeing since season two, and at this point, seems to have reached a natural stopping point in his corruption arc. Tired, washed out, and pessimistic, but at least comfortable in his status quo of being An Absolute Mess. He’s teamed up with Aster as sort of the token chaotic neutrals of the party, the only ones edgy enough to do things like casual torture and murder, but he’s attempted to reach out to his brother, and has even begrudgingly been roped into protecting the gang as they make their final stand against Yubel. He seems to be operating under the belief that while he no longer has to try so hard to rid the highschoolers of their delusions that the power of love and friendship will save the day, he’s still a depressed snot rag wrapped in a black leather overcoat.

That fantastic bit of ex-villainous personality gets to go head to head against the current villainous personality, and it is a treat. Yubel and Zane carry entire scenes through sheer force of presence, and seeing them snark and attempt to out edgelord each other is a delight.

But it also is a very pivotal point for Zane’s character because, for once, he is not the most mentally unstable person in the room. That honor goes to Jaden, newly traumatized, and about to start rolling down the same hill. Zane recognizes those self destructive behaviors, even attempts to warn Jaden that refusing to acknowledge his actions will only lead to further harm, but before he can properly sit down and explain to Jaden that self harmful behaviors are bad actually, and that electrocuting yourself to feel any semblance of emotion is actually a massive holy shit red flag, Yubel interrupts them.

So now, Zane, Failure Big Brother Extraordinaire, has to come to some semblance of peace with his own emo demons, while battling Jaden’s for him (both literally and figuratively).

The sheer panache of two of the most wonderful anti-heros of yugioh, the emotional turmoil of Zane’s inner conflict, the realistic portrayal of how we process trauma, plus the absolute YUGIOH MOVE that is choosing to die of card game induced heart attack. Honestly, I could go on about this duel forever.

Favorite arc: Quest for the Rainbow Dragon

I mentioned previously that I started watching yugioh as something to have on in the background, usually while I sewed. The Quest for the Rainbow Dragon is the arc that made me put down my needle and actually devote my full attention to watching the show.

GX is a show full of subverting audience expectations. I have my own opinions on the prioritization of shock-bait over consistent plot writing, but I also can’t deny that when Adrian Gecko just shrugged off his shirt and engaged in freaking fisticuffs, I was speechless for a whole five minutes.

In between one blink and the next, GX went from a weird early 2000s merchandise advert that occasionally had character writing and the oh-so-rare taste of legitimately serious writing, to a full on survival horror anime. The surreal, empty desert environment of the spirit world, the main cast slowly whittled down and frequently split up, the eerie monologues of Yubel and their legitimately unnerving horror visuals; all contribute to this claustrophobic feeling of dread. The panic of the students feels real.

And QftRD, despite being the first entry in GX’s much darker and grander second half, makes wonderful use of smaller scale episode plots. Entire episodes are devoted to the struggle of moving from one room in the school to the next, or negotiating for enough food to survive just another day. Every main character gets to shine in aspects that we’ve only seen hints of in their lives of status quo card games: whether it’s Alexis’ natural leadership, Hassleberry and Axels’ military skills, Crowler’s actual want to protect the students’ well being, or Jaden and Jesse just finally getting to explore their connections with duel monster spirits. Heck, even the unnamed students get to shine, using their knowledge of the school to navigate through hidden passages.

It’s such a shock to the system, after two and a half seasons of decidedly not small scale apocalyptic survival. The transition from Saturday Morning Cartoon Weirdness to PTSD War Crime Hours is very jarring and unexpected, even if you know it’s going to happen. But the duel zombies arc goes a long way to make that pivot feel deserved, to give actual weight to the sacrifices and choices the characters are about to make.

Also, I somehow managed to write this entire thing without realizing this is my second time my favorite arc in a ygo show has been the one with the word ‘dragon’ in the title.

Greatest strengths of the series:

The slow burn from shonen cartoon to cosmic horror trope subversion.

Truly, I can only compare GX to a handful of other shows that have ever come within the same ballpark of a viewing experience. The closest I can get is maybe relating it to Red vs Blue: One of my favorite shows of all time. And one that it’s absolutely impossible to get into.

See, with both GX and RvB, they’re shows that start out silly, unconnected, and (don’t worry, I love both of these shows with almost my entire heart), bad. Now, an impatient viewer might be tempted to just skip to the point where the show takes off, where it quote unquote “gets good”. But the problem is, if you attempt to cut out all the chaff, you lose what fundamentally makes the sudden spike in writing quality so compelling: the unexpectedness of it.

GX grabbed my attention by the throat in Waking The Dragon, because, up until then, I’d been using it as chill background fodder. Jaden felt so real to me as a protagonist and a person, because I’d spent fourty hours watching him be a normal protagonist/teenager. The previous episodes might not have done much to advance in terms of the plot, but they delivered something equally important: A status quo.

And when that status quo is broken, it feels much more powerful to the audience because it feels so fundamentally wrong. Just like it’s insane to watch in real time as RvB goes from being a bunch of outdated loosely strung together skits to a military drama waxing poetic about morality, GX spins on a dime from “Saturday morning cartoon” to “Cosmic horror meta tropefest”, and every episode you want to look up from the screen and go “How. Wh- Who let them just... do this?” Who let them set out to write one kind of story, and then not bother to correct them when they started doing something completely different? And why is it so good?

That is a very rare feeling in media, I think. To be so truly and utterly thrown off guard by a change in story direction, yet having more fun than you possibly could with some so-called “good” stories. And I think it’s a feeling worth cherishing.

Weakest points:

The slow burn from shonen cartoon to cosmic horror trope subversion.

The other reason I compare GX to Red vs. Blue is the fact that they are both shows that I cannot in good conscience recommend to friends.

“Here’s this show I like,” I say.

“Oh, cool, I’ll check it out!”

They return, minutes to hours later.

“So, I started that show you like and uh. Are you aware it is? Bad?”

“Yeah, don’t worry, it gets better-”

“Oh, sweet, cause I was really worried-”

“-Just give it a couple seasons!”

“I, uh.” They tug at their collar. “Can I skip the bad parts?”

“No. :D”

Hours and hours of time sunk into a mediocrity on the off-chance it “gets good” is a tough pill to swallow for most people. It’s a tough pill to swallow for me, and I willingly aspire to watch every yugioh anime. Add on top of that poor production quality, bloated plot bunnies, and some writing that has aged like milk, and you have. Well. A benign watching experience, at minimum.

And like I said, there’s good ingredients to the final storyline buried in all that early stuff! Just skipping directly to the middle in a hope to reach “the part everyone talks about” fundamentally waters down the experience, leaving you struggling to understand what has fans going bananas.

Why does the show hit you on the head 200 times with a hammer? Cause it feels so good when it stops!

Now, I’m not your parent, and you can watch tv shows however you want. If you only watched seasons 3 and 4 of GX, then by god, you watched GX, and you are welcome at the discussion table. Get in here, amigo. Your opinion matters just as much as mine.

GX is very difficult to review, in comparison to all its other sister shows, because the aspects some people praise are the very aspects others could never really get into the show because of. Its greatest strength as a story and its greatest weakness as a show are one in the same. It’s sort of this weird child of the family, unable to be talked about without a lot of contradiction and conversational backtracking. Is GX the best show of the three? Maybe. Is it my favorite? No, with an asterisk. Is it some people’s favorite? Absolutely.

If you changed it, made the plot tighter, the writing more concise, had a planned narrative from the beginning and slowly worked in elements of the larger endgame, would those same people still like it, in the same fervor?

I don’t think so.

Most yugioh moment:

YA SEE, A FEW YEARS BACK, ON A ROUTINE DIG FOR DINOSAUR FOSSILS, A LANDSLIDE BROKE OUT AND NEARLY BROKE MY LEG IN TWO. THEY HAD TO OPERATE QUICKLY, SO THEY USED THE DINOSAUR BONE I FOUND TO SAVE MY LEG. EVER SINCE, I'VE HAD WHAT THEY CALL DINO DNA. THE DOCTOR SAYS IT MAKES ME STRONGER THAN THE AVERAGE JOE.

#yugioh #yugioh gx #yu-gi-oh!#yu-gi-oh #ygo #ygo gx #spk's ygo reviews #essays #review #chazz princeton #jun manjoume #jaden yuki #judai yuki #yuki judai #zane truesdale #ryu marufuji #tyranno hassleberry #jesse anderson #johan andersen

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theprodigypenguin · 6 months

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Thank you @mugiwara-rosewolf for this question omg I'm almost certainly going to rant so I hope you're alright with that! I'd like to preface this by saying the only Pokémon game I've played through is Legends Arceus, and it's been ages since I watched the show, and the only card I have is Piplup cuz it's Piplup, so I am by no means an expert. Anyway let's goooooo!

I'm only gonna do one Pokémon for each character rather than an entire team! Many of these I chose after training them in game, watching YouTube videos about them, or purposely looking up their pokedex entries and lore. Some of these were chosen purely on vibes. Note: you can generally have a team of up to six, so these are only ONE of these characters Pokémon from their teams.

Lets start with Babo!

Sabo: Umbreon

So imma be real I gave him an Eevee because I Love Eevee. And because I wanted to give him a familiar Pokémon. The real decision was what his Eevee would evolve into. I decided on Umbreon because they evolve from high friendship, and friendship/family is insanely important to Sabo, so it made sense to me that his Eevee would evolve from that. Plus I really like Sabo having a dark type.

Koala: Swampert

Koala meets her Swampert when she's still pretty young, probably soon after returning to her home island. She's sitting at a stream when she hears crying and follows the sound to a trap where a Mudkip is stuck. She frees him, of course, feeling a strong understanding because she too had been trapped until recently. She names him Fish (after fisher tiger, duh) and they grow up together. She makes the decision to join the revolutionary army when he evolves the first time into Marshtomp. Swampert fucking adores Koala, that is his girl. He has a thin scar going around his back foot from the wire trap she saved him from.

Hack: Gyarados

Hack met his Gyarados by pure chance during a mission. He was traveling back to Baltigo under the water since he was alone, swimming to avoid marines or pirates. At one point he stops to enjoy his lunch, and notices that there's a weird looking fish floating nearby just staring at him. He doesn't realize the fish is a Magikarp, and when he greets it he gets no response (because it's a Pokémon, not a fish), so he just assumes it's shy and offers it part of his lunch (cuz Hack is a good guy). After finishing his lunch he starts swimming again, not realizing or maybe not caring that the Magikarp had taken a liking to him and was following him eagerly. At some point he crosses paths with a Sea King, but before he's able to get into a fighting stance, Magikarp swims in front of him, willing itself to evolve into Gyarados to protect Hack. That's when he realizes it's a Pokémon. Gyarados follows him back to Baltigo, and he just ends up with it as his Pokémon partner.

Betty: Espurr

So my thought process for Betty’s partner was that I really wanted her to have a psychic type, because I thought it matched beautifully with her Devil’s Fruit ability to encourage and pump people up simply by speaking. That's kinda psychic, right? What made me settle on Espurr was the lore that it's a Pokémon who struggles deeply with controlling its powers, is rather lonely and oftentimes on its own. It made me think of what Betty said about the revs being there for people willing to stand up for themselves. Espurr is trying super hard to control itself, and Betty sees that, so she's happy to encourage it and help it become stronger and more capable of controlling its powers. I think they'd mesh really well as partners. Plus, cmon, look at that face. There's something endearing about an adorable lil guy being able to fucking YEET your ass.

Morley: Sableye

Reason one why I chose Sableye: he's fucking adorable. I think they must have met when Morley was imprisoned in Impel Down and digging the tunnels that eventually became level 5.5. Sableye had gotten stuck there somehow, but when it noticed Morley digging it decided to follow. Sableye would pick through the dirt and rocks that Morley pushed aside, and when Morley realized it was scavenging, she started to purposely look for tasty looking rocks and would hand them back to Sableye, who followed her through the entire process of tunnel digging. When Morley finally escaped, she brought Sableye with her. They've been friends for a VERY long time. Sableye likes to just sit on Morley's shoulder, but will hop down if Morley is digging/pushing the ground around, because that means TREATS!

Lindbergh: Heatmor

Heatmor is a fucking vibe, okay. The blend of organic and mechanical really made sense for Lindbergh, because I see Heatmor using its fire to help him when he's making one of his gadgets. Oh, you need to melt some metal? No problem Lind, Heatmor is here! I was torn between giving Lindbergh a fire type or a steel type and Heatmor's appearance really won me over for this one. The vibes are simply perfect. Here's a bonus fact, Heatmor is 4'7" and Lindbergh is 4'11" 🤣 I just love that they're basically the same height. Heatmor is Lindbergh's partner as well as his assistant when preparing gadgets. They have a really good dynamic I think.

Karasu: Corviknight

I mean *waves* duh. I wanted Karasu to have a flying type because I thought it would be sweet of them to fly together. Then I realized Corviknight existed. Initially I thought it was a little TOO on the nose, but Corviknight is literally perfect for Karasu both aesthetically and lore-based. Karasu met his Corviknight when he was just a tiny Rookidee. He raised the little guy by hand and even taught him how to fly. Corviknight is more like Karasu's child than his Pokémon partner tbfh. He enjoys perching on Karasu's shoulder and will nest in the feathers of his cloak when it's tired. He gets along with most of the other Pokémon as he's quite friendly, but he's got beef with Inazuma's Tinkaton.

Ivankov: Ditto

I dare you to tell me this isn't perfect. Genderless and able to perfectly change into a duplicate of its enemy, its ability to transform itself parallels unbelievably well with Iva's devil fruit ability. I think they met when Ditto chose to reveal itself to Iva voluntarily after seeing Iva transform. Maybe it thought Iva was also a Ditto, who knows? Either way it liked Iva's company and chose to travel with her, happily working alongside her. Iva of course has other Pokémon on her team, but Ditto refuses to be confined to a pokeball and Iva respects that, so just let's it follow her around freely.

Dragon: Smolive

"Prodi why did you give Dragon a smolive?" This is why ->

Anyway, they met one day when a lonely Smolive crawled onto Dragon's plate following the scent of food, and Dragon, not realizing, picked him up thinking he was part of the meal. It begins shrieking, alerting Dragon that this is a Pokémon, so he sets it back down while apologizing for almost eating it. After that Smolive decides to dedicate it's very tiny life to Dragon and they become friends. I genuinely believe Dragon gets along really well with grass types. Idk why, the vibes just fit. He has other partners more suited for battle, but the image of Smolive on his shoulders helps to trick unsuspecting enemies into thinking it'll be an easy fight. Meanwhile he's got a legendary on his team or something, idk, Dragon exists to surprise us.

Kuma: Blissey

I wanted Kuma to have a Pokémon with the same gentle, no nonsense personality. Something healing but willing to beat your ass, basically the exact same as Kuma. Blissey is literally perfect for him. Compassionate, hard working, gentle. Genuinely do I have to say anything else? Blissey was the one who was first drawn to a young Kuma back when she was just a Happiny because she could sense his good nature and quickly became attached to him. When Kuma leaves to join the warlords he leaves Blissey at Baltigo, much to Blissey's distress. She hates being apart from her partner, but Kuma knew from the beginning that this mission probably wouldn't end well and didn't want his beloved Pokémon to get caught up in it, so he entrusts her to Dragon and the other revs. She misses him very much and is often sad, but will brighten up when given the opportunity to take care of someone. Her full attention is on Sabo after he gets his memories back, because she can sense how distressed he is. She'll offer him her egg to try and help, but he swears he's okay. He does hug her a lot, though, because they both miss Kuma.

Ahiru: Bronzor

Another choice made by vibes. First of all I love that both Ahiru and Betty have psychic types, and I wanted Ahiru to have a partner that matched her aesthetic and her mechanical arm. I also think the legend its inspired by is incredibly powerful and fits with the overall theme of the Revolutionary Army. Bronzor will allow Ahiru to polish it, but only for a little bit, and won't let anyone else touch it.

Inazuma: Tinkaton

I really wanted Inazuma to have a steel type, and I loved Tinkaton for them but wasn't sure about the clashing colors. Then I read further on her lore. So yeah Inazuma has a Tinkaton. She's got mad beef with Karasu's Corviknight, but Inazuma is pretty good at keeping her from doing something murderous. Tinkaton doesn't like disappointing Inazuma and will droop her head when Inazuma scolds her for trying to commit homicide against the poor Corviknight who is just minding his own damn business. In a fight, Inazuma and Tinkaton are fucking TERRIFYING together. She gets along insanely well with Sabo, who can lift her ridiculously heavy hammer and is about as crazy as she it.

#this took so long to finish 🤣#i hope you enjoy 🫡#one piece #pokemon #one piece pokemon au #revolutionary army

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ladyzee-oddityhunter · 3 months

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((CW: Mentions of pokemon abuse))

Zee Streams: “Welcome to the Heartfelt Shelter!”

[The following stream is timestamped 2:36pm 11 January, 2024]

Stream beginning soon...

When the lobby screen swipes away, Zee is standing in what looks like a small front lobby. Behind her is a reception desk with the title “Heartfelt Foundation” mounted on the wall in creamy white letters next to a salmon pink heart.

Beside Zee is a young man standing a few inches shorter than Zee herself. His hair is chocolate brown save for the butter yellow braids in front of his ears. He’s wearing a black turtleneck and a dark red blazer and slacks. His eyes, watching the camera slightly nervously, are strikingly pale blue-grey.

Zee waves eagerly, letting the gold underside of her shoulder cape flutter and flash.

“Hello my lovely skiddo kiddos! You’re here with me, Lady Zee, and today we’re doing something a little out of the ordinary before our regularly scheduled oddity stream!”

She gestures broadly to the desk and facility name behind her, the movement again punctuated by her cape’s sparkle.

“This is Mateo, and today he’s giving us a tour! Of what you ask? You remember our newest sponsor I’m sure, the Heartfelt Foundation! Today we’re touring their shelter in Slateport City where they have all sorts of pokemon in their care and up for adoption! Right, Mateo?”

Mateo gasps softly before seeming to remember to smile.

“Ah! Yeah! I spend a lot of time in here because I love taking care of the pokemon and making sure they go to good homes so…”

He pauses and looks needfully to Zee for some sort of cue. She makes a “go ahead” gesture with her hand, and he seems to catch on with no small amount of relief that he's doing this correctly.

"So follow me," He says, leading Zee through a door to the left of the reception desk. The camera, her rotom phone today, follows dutifully to keep them both in frame.

Mateo walks into what looks like a long, wide hallway lined with rooms enclosed by plexiglass. Zee pauses to point into one, and the camera zips up to her and turns to look into the room.

Inside is what looks like a tiny lake surrounded by soft grass and filled with lilypads. Many small, semi-aquatic pokemon like wooper and politoed are splashing in and out of the water. A lone tympole bobs to the surface and playfully blows a bubble toward the glass.

The next room is fully aquatic, looking more like an indoor swimming pool with a narrow platform running around the edges, just wide enough for a caretaker to stand on while they clean the enclosure or feed the pokemon. A goldeen, several magikarp, and a few feebas are swimming peacefully in there.

"So we have twenty-three enclosures right now," Mateo says as he gestures down the hall, "But we set them up and break them down as our number of residents changes. All of our resident pokemon were either surrendered to us or rescued from unsafe situations, and all of them are adoptable."

"Is it easy to adopt?" Zee asks from where she's crouched beside a very dark enclosure and looking in. What looks like a woobat's nose is pressed against the glass, sniffing occasionally.

"It can be!" Mateo says, a confident smile now creeping across his mouth as they move into comfortable territory for him. "We check out every potential new adopter before sending any pokemon home with them, so anyone with a known history of pokemon abuse is NOT allowed to adopt. We also make sure the home itself is suitable for the pokemon based on type, species, and individual personality. This way we make sure no one goes to a home where they don't fit the environment or lifestyle, stress out their new family, and have to come back and break everyone's hearts. And we teach every adopter a quick course in feeding and care for their new family member, and send them home with a pamphlet of Heartfelt's own independent research on that species if we have one. There are a lot of pokemon, so we don't have a pamphlet for all of them yet, but we're also available during all business hours for any adopters who need some help."

Zee bounces to her feet and claps her hands, and the camera does a happy up and down bob with her. "That is SO wonderful!" She cheers.

"How many pokemon have you helped find homes?"

"Hundreds!" Mateo says proudly with a little puff of his chest. "We take pokemon happiness very seriously here!"

They continue the tour, Zee peeking into most of the enclosures and commenting on how cute the pokemon inside are with the camera following her gaze. Each enclosure contains a miniature environment setup and pokemon relaxing or playing comfortably. Most of them contain multiple smaller species, but a few contain just one or two larger ones with the largest being an elderly slaking.

As they reach the end of the hall, the clear plexiglass windows are replaced by solid doors with much smaller windows inset at roughly eye level. Zee stops beside one, and Mateo hurries back to her side, looking a little nervous.

"Ah, please be careful around this door. This guy doesn't like... Uh. Noise."

The camera lifts up to peer in through the window. This room is much smaller and is dimmed comfortably. Inside is a large, soft looking pokemon bed upon which a houndoom sleeping.

"Oh..." Zee says, her voice fading out sadly, because the houndoom inside does not look happy.

One of its horns is broken off, and a deep, still healing gash is cut across its face from the base of the broken horn to the tip of its snout. The cut passes through an empty eye socket. Laceration scars are scattered along its side, and its tail has been removed just a few inches past its tailbone.

"We call him Spicy Meatball," Mateo says grimly. "He was rescued from a death battling ring. He's really, really jumpy around other pokemon and loud noises because of it, but when he feels safe he's the sweetest guy."

"Oh dear, that's... That's..." Zee trails off, struggling for once to find words.

Mateo finishes for her.

"Terrible, right?"

Zee turns to look at him and nods. Her eyes look a bit watery, and the camera pans over to center on Mateo instead.

"It's really terrible," He continues, "That some people think that's just okay to do to other living things, to do to pokemon. To make them suffer, and make them unable to feel safe just living. Not even some people. A... A lot of people. Meatball's not the first one I've seen come in like this, and I know... I just KNOW he won't be the last."

He looks directly at Zee, away from the camera. "Not unless something is done to actually stop this kind of human behavior. REALLY stop it, not just advise against it. And we can do that, Zee. We can stop it. You just need to help us."

Zee's eyebrows press together and her mouth falls slightly open, confusion settling in her expression. This does not sound like a normal sponsor speech. Her golden brown eyes flick once toward the camera, and suddenly Mateo seems to remember it's there.

"So!" He says, looking slightly off balance but swiftly recovering, "That's why we need help from compassionate people, to help educate people on how to love and care for their pokemon friends, and help the ones in need find homes. Right?"

Zee recovers faster, throwing on a smile and sweeping her right hand out so the gold in her cape shimmers elegantly. "That's right! Running a shelter and sharing information takes a lot of resources though, and food! Lots of yummy pokemon food! To help Heartfelt keep the lights on and tummies full, follow the link my darling mods are posting in the chat and donate a little! If you don't have anything to spare right now, that's fine! Please make sure to share that link with your friends instead! Every set of eyes and every donation helps a TON!"

Mateo swallows, his smile a little stiff as he looks at the camera. "Thank you so much for visiting today, Lady Zee. It was great to have you, and I think the pokemon loved being famous for a bit."

"Thank you SO much for having me! I had SUCH an amazing time! AND I'll have an even BETTER time if I can feed that woobat!"

She bounces on her toes happily and waves to the camera. "Thank you SO much for joining us on this tour! I hope to see you all again tonight for our regularly scheduled oddity stream! And remember skiddos, mommy loves you!"

Thanks for Watching!

#pokemon irl #pkmn irl #zee streams #Heartfelt arc #cw:pokemon abuse

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